BELL AND THE BALL

Brian Murphy, OF THE EXAMINER STAFF

Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, June 30, 1999

OAKLAND - By the time the kid came to bat in the bottom of the ninth, he had won them over.

The 11,762 who came to the Coliseum on Tuesday night and saw the A's lose to Seattle, 2-1, in 12 frustrating innings, let a low rumble build to an appreciative cheer when Oakland's rookie catcher Ramon Hernandez stood at bat.

Why not? For a team that was on its way to tying a season high with its sixth consecutive loss, Hernandez was a human adrenaline shot; a promising major league debut from the 23-year-old Venezuelan deserved a salute.

On an otherwise bang-your-head-against-the-wall night for the A's, all Hernandez had did was:

*Smartly bunted for his first big-league hit in his first at-bat, catching Mariners third baseman Russ Davis napping. The bunt was not only Hernandez's own improv, it set up the A's with runners at first and second with nobody out. That the rally died without a run being scored was lost in the bigger picture of a heads-up play.

*Threw out the only two baserunners who tried to run on him, including a pivotal ring-up of Alex Rodriguez attempting to steal second base on a strikeout-double play whammy that got the A's out of an eighth-inning mess.

*Drove in the A's only run of the night with a single that scored Jason Giambi to tie the game in the seventh inning. By the time it was over, manager Art Howe was predicting Hernandez would be seeing more playing time on this critical homestand against division rivals.

"It was a nice start, he was impressive tonight," Howe said. "He threw the ball extremely well, he called a good game. He'll probably be in there (Wednesday night), I would think."

What that means for the A's other catcher on the roster, .194-hitting A.J. Hinch, is a little competition.

"Part of the game is, you have to perform to keep your job," said Howe, who added he would probably talk to Hinch about playing time in the coming games. "Every team is looking to upgrade."

That's all talk for another day, down the road. On Tuesday, Hernandez had other issues, like trying to swat the giant monarchs swimming in his stomach at the game's outset. Only called up on Sunday from Triple-A Vancouver after veteran Mike Macfarlane went on the 15-day disabled list, Hernandez was feeling big-league jitters to start the game.

"I just told myself: You've just got to play, just like you've been doing all your life," Hernandez said. "I was trying to get the nerves gone, saying: Don't think about the big leagues, just play."

His play met with approval from some key voices in the clubhouse - notably starting pitcher Mike Oquist, who turned in what Howe said was his best start of the season, and from heart-and-soul veteran Tony Phillips.

Oquist had pitched with Hernandez in a Triple-A start earlier this year, and said familiarity bred a good outing - Oquist's seven innings of five-hit ball was his longest stint of the season.

"He's a good kid, he's got what it takes," Oquist said.

"He's got good tools."

Said Phillips, in the defiant tone he uses to make most statements: "He's a good catcher. He's a good addition to this club."

They could have seen quite the ending if Hernandez's ninth-inning drive to the one of the Coliseum's nether regions hadn't died just in front of the 388-foot sign. Didn't matter. The crowd still gave Hernandez a lusty cheer upon his return to the dugout.

Asked about the fans, Hernandez allowed himself a small grin.

"I was happy for that," he said.

So were the A's, on a night that didn't leave many other happy memories.&lt;